Helsinki Announces Plans for Rainbow Housing

A registered association called Sateenkaariasunnot Ry ('Rainbow Apartments Association' in English) has announced plans to build Finland's first apartment building specifically for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, after the City of Helsinki granted a plot of land in

BY Realty Plus
Published - Tuesday, 29 Jun, 2021

Helsinki Announces Plans for Rainbow Housing

A registered association called Sateenkaariasunnot Ry ('Rainbow Apartments Association' in English) has announced plans to build Finland's first apartment building specifically for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, after the City of Helsinki granted a plot of land in Verkkosaari for the association to build between 14 and 26 apartments. The announcement comes as Pride Week kicks off in the capital on Monday, which is billed as the "biggest cultural and human rights event for gender and sexual minorities in Finland". Chair and founder of the Rainbow Apartments Association, Tapani Vuola, told Yle that safe and accessible housing is very important for gender and sexual minorities as homelessness among members of the community is quite prevalent in Helsinki. Although Finland is one of the top countries for rainbow rights, many people still feel insecure here. Having an environment where people are allowed to be themselves and express themselves freely is important for one's security and well-being. The association received the permit decision on Midsummer Eve and construction is scheduled to begin within the next two years. The land in Verkkosaari is intended for owner-occupied apartment buildings. Once the construction company is established, future residents will be selected via interviews and will pay half the price of the apartment themselves, while the rest will be financed by bank loans. Vuola said he envisions a communal atmosphere and way of life for the apartment building. A similar housing arrangement can be found in Jätkäsaari, where the residents of Malta House share premises with each other, but the residents own the apartments privately.